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Oedipus And Odysseus: A Comparison - Online Term Papers

Oedipus And Odysseus: A Comparison

The major focus of this tragedy is on the character of the hero,
Oedipus. He is a person of great importance; in fact, the security and
health of the community depend upon him. And he has to meet an urgent
crisis, something which threatens the continuing existence of the city.
And because he is very conscious of his own qualities, he takes upon
himself that responsibility. Oedipus, above everything else at first, is a
person who acts decisively and who is celebrated for so doing.
In that sense, Oedipus is like Odysseus, who is also famous for his
ability to act and react in an emergency. What is most important about
them, however, emerges not from their initial decisions to act but ...

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on his own
terms; he becomes increasingly inflexible. Having accepted the
responsibility for saving Thebes, he will on his own see the matter through,
without compromise, without lies, without subterfuge. Oedipus demands from
life that it answers to him, to his vision of what it must be. Throughout
the play he is seeking to impose his will upon events. People around him
are always urging caution, prudence, even an abandonment of his quest, but
to act on such advice would be for Oedipus a denial of what he is. And, as
he repeatedly states, he would rather suffer anything than compromise his
sense of who he is and how he must conduct himself.
Odysseus is quite distinct. He sees everything and is always
prepared to recognize that he has been wrong. He can adapt; that is one
of the most attractive things about the story. The reader may know the
outcome, what holds him is the expectation of some new revelation about
Odysseus' bag of tricks. What will he do next to get out of ...

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Oedipus And Odysseus: A Comparison. (2008, June 16). Retrieved January 10, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-And-Odysseus-A-Comparison/85341

"Oedipus And Odysseus: A Comparison." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 16 Jun. 2008. Web. 10 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-And-Odysseus-A-Comparison/85341>

"Oedipus And Odysseus: A Comparison." Essayworld.com. June 16, 2008. Accessed January 10, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Oedipus-And-Odysseus-A-Comparison/85341.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 6/16/2008 12:32:32 PM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 534
Pages: 2

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